In an aerial view, two-story single family homes line the streets on Jan. 14, 2026 in Thousand Oaks, California. Kevin Carter | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates dropped last week to the lowest level in a month, prompting more current borrowers to seek savings in a refinance. While lower rates didn’t give potential buyers much … Read more
High home prices, faltering supply and weaker consumer confidence in the economy all continue to weigh on the U.S. housing market. The chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, Lawrence Yun, is calling it “a new housing crisis.” Sales of previously owned homes in January dropped a much wider-than-expected 8.4% from December to a … Read more
Homes in Crockett, California, US, on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage rates for conventional loans didn’t budge last week, and neither did overall demand, but borrowers are actively seeking other loan products that offer bigger savings. Total mortgage application volume increased 0.3% last week compared with the … Read more
An aerial view of homes in San Francisco, Aug. 27, 2025. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The share of U.S. homeowners with high rates on their mortgages has jumped sharply in just the last few years. That’s having a marked impact on the refinance market and a somewhat more muted impact on home sales. Rates … Read more
An “Open House” sign outside a home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, US, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. Zak Bennett | Bloomberg | Getty Images Stagnant mortgage rates, falling housing supply and ongoing economic uncertainty weighed heavily on homebuyers in December. Pending home sales, a measure of signed contracts on existing homes, dropped 9.3% last … Read more
Lisa Cook, governor of the US Federal Reserve, and U.S. President Donald Trump. Ting Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images | Jonathan Ernst | Reuters The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Wednesday morning in a case over whether President Donald Trump has the power to fire Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook … Read more
Homes in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, US, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. Zak Bennett | Bloomberg | Getty Images Mortgage demand spiked markedly higher last week as consumers returned from the holidays to find overall lower interest rates and then a sharp rate drop Friday on news from the White House. President Donald Trump posted … Read more
Mortgage rates fell sharply on Friday, a day after President Donald Trump said on social media that he is instructing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds. “This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable,” he said … Read more
US President Donald Trump speaks during a bill signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. Francis Chung | Politico | Bloomberg | Getty Images President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is “instructing my Representatives” to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds, claiming … Read more
Mortgage rates are lower, home prices are easing, and there is more supply on the market for sale. All of that adds up to improved affordability for today’s homebuyers. Saving for a down payment, however, is still the biggest hurdle for first-time buyers. Prices nationally are basically flat compared with where they were a year … Read more